1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power source circuit shutoff apparatus for connecting and shutting off a power source circuit by mating and separating connector housings equipped with a lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), there is proposed a power source circuit shutoff apparatus (service plug) for shutting off an energizing between a power source portion and a load so as to secure operational safety in such occasions as maintenance of an electric system (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2002-298704)).
As a power source circuit shutoff apparatus, the present inventor has proposed one shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100 is provided with a first connector housing 110, a second connector housing 120 configured to be mated with and separated from the first connector housing 110, and a lever 130 rotatably provided at the second connector housing 120 and configured to cause a mating force or a separating force to the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 by rotation.
A pair of cam pins 111 are protrudingly provided on respective side faces of the first connector housing 110. A pair of first main terminals 113 (refer to FIG. 2) are disposed in a connector mating chamber 110a provided at the first connector housing 110. A pair of first signal terminals 116 are disposed in an external hood portion 115 provided at the first connector housing 110.
A pair of rotational shafts 121 (refer to FIG. 1) are protrudingly provided on respective side faces of the second connector housing 120. A pair of second main terminals 122 (refer to FIG. 3) each of which is configured to be mated with and separated from one of the pair of first main terminals 113 are provided in the second connector housing 120.
A pair of rotation receiving grooves 131 are formed on respective side faces of the lever 130. Each of the pair of rotational shafts 121 of the second connector housing 120 is pivotally supported to one of the pair of rotation receiving grooves 131. By this configuration, the lever 130 is rotatably supported on the second connector housing 120. Further, a pair of cam grooves 132 are provided on respective side faces of the lever 130. Each of a pair of cam pins 111 of the first connector housing 110 is inserted into one of the pair of cam grooves 132. A pair of second signal terminals 134 are disposed in a hood portion 133 provided at a side face portion of the lever 130.
A main circuit switch (not shown) includes the first main terminals 113 and the second main terminals 122. On the other hand, a signal circuit switch (not shown) includes the first signal terminals 116 and the second signal terminals 134.
Hereinafter, a conducting operation of a power source circuit of the power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100 will be explained. The second connector housing 120 is inserted into a connector mating chamber (not shown) of the first connector housing 110 and the cam pin 111 is inserted into an inlet of the cam groove 132 of the lever 130. The first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 are brought into a connector mating start state.
Rotating the lever 130 from a connector mating start position to a connector mating completion position side moves the cam pin 111 in the cam groove 132, to thereby cause the mating force to the first connector housing 110 and the second connector housing 120 such that the second connector housing 120 is gradually inserted into the connector mating chamber of the first connector housing 110. Then, the pair of first main terminals 113 and the pair of second main terminals 122 are brought into a contact state. This operation turns on the main circuit switch (not shown) in a connector mating operation position.
Further rotating of the lever 130 gradually brings the pair of first signal terminals 116 and the pair of second signal terminals 134 into contact with each other, thereby causing a complete contact state in the operation completion position of the lever 130. This operation turns on a signal circuit switch (not shown) in the operation completion position of the lever 130. In the power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100, it is not until the pair of the signal terminals are brought into the on-state after the pair of the main terminals are brought into the on-state, that the power source circuit (not shown) is brought into the conduction state.
Further, the power shutoff operation of the power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100 can be implemented by operating the lever 130 in a reverse order of that stated above. This operation allows the power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100 to shutoff the power source circuit (not shown) at the time point when the first signal terminal 116 and the second signal terminal 134 are turned off, thus enabling to prevent occurrence of an arc discharge at the subsequent time point for switching the first main terminal 113 and second main terminals 122 to the off-state.
By the way, each of the pair of first signal terminals 116 and the pair of second signal terminals 134 are disposed along a rotational spindle direction of the lever 130 with an interval from each other, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Specifically, each of the pair of first signal terminals 116 is in a form of a female terminal. On the other hand, each of the pair of second signal terminals 134 is in a form of a male terminal. The pair of second signal terminals 134 are, as shown in FIG. 4, provided to be integrated with each other by a connecting plate portion 135 and are so bent by the connecting plate portion 135 as to be opposedly disposed.
With the power source circuit shutoff apparatus 100, however, each of the pair of first signal terminals 116 and the pair of second signal terminals 134 are disposed in the rotational spindle direction of the lever 130 with an interval from each other. By this configuration, when the lever 130 is rotated from the connector mating start position to the connector mating completion position, the pair of second signal terminals 134 opposed to each other simultaneously contact the pair of first signal terminals 116. Thus, the pair of second signal terminals 134 contacting the pair of first signal terminal 116 increase a power for rotating the lever 130, thus causing such a fear as that the operability of the lever 130 may be lowered.